House Speaker Mike Johnson considers Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene a friend, even though she’s trying to oust him from the speakership.
Ms. Greene, Georgia Republican, put the wheels in motion last month to boot Mr. Johnson and is on the warpath against the speaker. She has accused him of working with Democrats and selling out the Republican agenda, particularly for passing a colossal $1.2 trillion spending package in March to ward off another partial government shutdown.
The pair are set to meet Wednesday, marking their first in-person conversation since Ms. Greene filed the motion to vacate the chair.
“We’re both conservatives, you know, but we do disagree sometimes on strategy,” Mr. Johnson said. “And with regard to what we put on the floor and when … Marjorie is frustrated by the last appropriations package, the spending bills, and you know what, so am I.”
Ms. Greene hasn’t said when she might force a vote on ousting Mr. Johnson, and it’s unlikely many Republicans would jump on board with the idea of removing yet another speaker.
Mr. Johnson said the situation may be frustrating for the GOP, but the reality of having a paper-thin majority and control of only the House means that Republicans must play ball with Democrats.
Big, transformational policy and spending changes aren’t possible, he said, because of that slim margin, which is set to shrink to one vote this month when Rep. Mike Gallagher, Wisconsin Republican, leaves Congress early.
“For example, the budgeting and spending, we’re not going to get all of our priorities, we will never get 100% of what we want and what we believe is necessary for the country, because the reality … it’s a matter of math,” Mr. Johnson said.